A socket wrench is one of the most important tools anyone should have. These tools come in handy wherever you are a professional mechanic or just the neighbors' handyman. If you want to do your own repairs, invest in good socket wrenches. It seems easy to say that you have to invest in these tools, but actually buying one means you have to choose among a variety in the market. The variations are due to the fact that each type of wrench is good for a specific purpose.
Before you actually buy socket wrenches, you need to figure out what repair tasks you usually do. It's not ideal to go to a tools store and pick the cheapest one you can find. You would know that you have bought the wrong kind only when you are already doing household repairs.
Socket wrenches are essential components of a homeowner's tool box. The job that these tools do may seem trivial. They do nothing else but hold bolts or screws. Can you think of other tools that do exactly the same thing?
The handle of a socket wrench has a spring-loaded bearing where the sockets can be locked. Various sockets can be attached to the wrench. The set becomes a versatile number of tools. Unlike other types, these particular tools are more capable. They are more reliable in tightening and loosening bolts or nuts. These tools are usually used in machinery and automated repairs.
When it comes to choosing the right set, keep in mind that there are many other types in the market. Manufacturers have made various wrenches, each capable of doing a certain task only. It's probably impossible to find one that does everything. The best you could have is a set of sockets, which allow you to do a wide range of mechanical tasks. For beginners, it's probably safe to have the standard set, which is good for general purposes.
Sockets come with six or twelve points. Its purpose is to hold on to a nut or a bolt, but the six-point socket has a tighter grap on a nut or bolt, provided its size matches the size of the nut or bolt being tightened or loosened. Sockets come in sets with all varying sizes. The sizes vary as the sizes of nuts, bolts and screws do. For your everyday needs, get the 3/8-inch set.
Should you look for cheap sockets? No, because quality should be your main concern. Cheap ones are most likely unreliable as they have inferior metal quality. So, they make inefficient tools. Invest in quality ones, those you can use for a long time. There are metric and standard sockets. Get a socket set with both metric and standard ones so that you have appropriate sockets for different types of bolts. Both types are handy during separate situations. But when you do car repair, for instance, you may need both.
You can save on cost by opting for an adjustable wrench, instead of buying a set of wrenches, which would also increase the weight of your tool box.